Thanksgiving Takeout Options From Restaurants and Grocery Stores
Load up your table with sides and turkeys — and even turduckens — from these great stores and restaurants.
Fresh Direct
Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most anticipated meals of the year; there are plenty of folks who relish preparing the feast, but if you’re looking to augment your feast with store- or restaurant-bought sides, or you’d like to carry in the full feast, opt for takeout. Grocery stores and chain restaurants nationwide have done the menu planning, prep work and the actual cooking for you, so you can rest easy knowing you’ll eat well. And if you want to order all the sides a la carte, that’s fine too. Whatever you eat and however you celebrate, don’t forget to give thanks.
GROCERY STORES
The Fresh Market
You can’t go wrong with The Fresh Market’s traditional turkey-based holiday meal, but they also offer less traditional Thanksgiving meals. There’s turducken, a feat of cooking in which a duck breast is tucked inside a chicken breast that’s nestled inside a boneless turkey, then layered with garlic-herb dressing and andouille sausage. Or there’s a savory holiday pie, which layers turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, butternut squash, cranberry sauce and gravy into each slice. The latest offering is a turkey roulade with apple stuffing, perfect for smaller gatherings. If you’re feeding a larger family, opt for the ultimate Thanksgiving meal which serves 12 to 14 people and includes turkey, ham, all the fixings and an apple pie.
Though Costco doesn’t have a pre-set Thanksgiving menu, it’s a one-stop-shop for all of your Thanksgiving needs. You’ll find staples like turkey, beef and ham, as well as cranberry sauce, stuffing and pies. Leading up to the big feast, stock up on ready-to-eat snacks such as veggie-and-dip trays, pinwheel sandwiches and meat-and-cheese roll-ups. The frozen foods section is a great place to look for hors d’oeuvres inspiration, including meatballs, spanakopita, pull-apart cheesy bread and beef franks in puff pastry. Other entertaining items to consider picking up in bulk while you’re shopping at Costco include cases of wine, sparkling water and napkins. Don’t forget deli containers for packing up leftovers.
Publix, the Southeast grocery chain is known for its whole turkey dinner, but also offers sweet ham or mojo pork options. All dinners come with a nice roster of sides. For the turkey dinner (whole or breast) you’ll get dressing, gravy and mashed potatoes; the ham dinner is accompanied by sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole. There’s an extensive menu of sides to choose from, which can also be ordered a la carte. The most popular sides are cornbread dressing and mashed potatoes, but we’re willing to bet that newcomers like harvest vegetable risotto and three-cheese pasta will become instant classics.
Whole Foods
If you need to consider different dietary restrictions or special diets, Whole Foods has a variety of menus to satisfy all tastes. Notable options include a Paleo-friendly turkey dinner that serves four, and a vegan meal of a cremini mushroom roast and savory sides such as miso creamed greens and coconut sweet potato casserole. The most popular orders are the Classic Roast Turkey Dinner, which serves eight, and the aptly named Festive Feast, which serves 12. If you’re tackling the turkey yourself this year and want to free up some room in the oven (not to mention in your day), opt for the Just Sides package, which can include the likes of truffle Parmesan mashed potatoes and olive oil smashed cauliflower.
Kroger
Keeping with tradition, Kroger is back with a Thanksgiving menu of fan-favorites. The most popular prepared holiday meal is the bone-in turkey dinner, which feeds six people and includes a roasted turkey, staple sides such as stuffing and green bean casserole, plus rolls and a pumpkin pie. Round out your feast with additional a la carte sides, including creamy scalloped potatoes, broccoli rice casserole and cranberry orange casserole. For snacking options leading up to the main event, pre-order deli meat and cheese platters or swing by for pre-cut veggie and fruit trays.
Trader Joe’s is known for its frozen foods, but fall is a particularly great time to snap up seasonal goodies to serve on your Thanksgiving table. Anchor your meal with turkey and stuffing en croute, in which turkey tenderloin and stuffing are rolled up into puff pastry. For a vegan spin, try the breaded turkey-less stuffed roast with gravy. Look for appetizers like pumpkin empanadas or spicy pumpkin samosas, sides such as riced cauliflower risotto with butternut squash, as well as desserts, including rustic apple tart and Nantucket-style cranberry pie. For a clever two-fer, opt for the mashed sweet potatoes with maple-candied pecans; they’re great as a side but can be used as pie filling, too. For apps, hit up the refrigerated section to stock up on a variety of cheeses (don’t miss the Unexpected Cheddar) and charcuterie, then stock up on pantry-stable preserves and pickles to create a build-your-own board adventure.
This year, Hy-Vee, the Midwest-based grocery store chain will be offering small-crowd turkey and ham dinners that serve two and four people (in addition to large-crowd feasts). Each meal includes a choice of rolls, a potato side (perhaps au gratin potatoes or sweet potato casserole), and two additional sides, such as cheesy corn bake, sage bread dressing or honey citrus Waldorf salad. You can also opt to order a la carte to customize your feast; don’t miss the Cheesecake Factory dessert options including the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. If you need a head start on midday meals, Hy-Vee also offers brunch packages that serve two, four or six people. Savory options include quiche, hash brown casserole and biscuits and gravy, while sweet dishes such as cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip muffins round out the mix.
Whether you want to go the a la carte route or opt for a curated menu, Safeway has you covered. Complete menus come with sides to complement each dinner, which includes turkey, prime rib or spiral ham. Kick off your holiday celebrations with prepared meat and cheese platters, fruit or veggie trays and sandwich trays. There’s even a kid-friendly charcuterie platter that includes dips, crackers, cheese slices, roll-ups and fresh-cut fruit and veggies. If you don’t have a Safeway near you, look for Thanksgiving menus and holiday ordering through other Albertsons Companies’ grocery store chains including Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Pavilions, Star Market and Carrs.
RESTAURANT GROUPS
Cracker Barrel
This year, Cracker Barrel, the Southern cooking chain is offering heat-and-serve family meal options to accommodate gatherings of a range of sizes. For the Thanksgiving Heat n’ Serve Family Dinner (four to six people), try the country fried turkey (whole turkey or filets), which comes with the all-new three-cheese squash casserole, your choice of additional side and buttermilk biscuits. For a larger crowd, opt for the classic Thanksgiving Heat n’ Serve Feast, which serves eight to 10 people and can be prepared in under two hours. You’ll get two oven-roasted turkey breasts, cornbread dressing, turkey gravy, cranberry relish, three sides, sweet yeast rolls and pie. As a bonus, if you schedule your meal pick-up for the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving, you’ll receive a gift card ($5 gift card for orders of the smaller Dinner, or a $10 gift card for the Feast).
Boston Market
Boston Market’s complete heat-and-serve meals come in a variety of sizes; the whole roasted turkey meal serves 12 and includes a turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetable stuffing, spinach-artichoke dip and crackers, cranberry walnut relish, dinner rolls, and two desserts: an apple pie and a pumpkin pie. Heat-and-serve dinners can be pre-ordered and picked up the week of Thanksgiving. You can also snag an extra entrée or dessert in person to accommodate last-minute guests. If you prefer to have dinner delivered to your door, you can order pre-cooked Thanksgiving spreads, a la carte sides and desserts online and have your order shipped frozen. Just thaw, heat and serve.
Popeyes
Back by popular demand, Popeyes, the fried chicken chain, is offering its fan-favorite Cajun-style turkey. You can order the pre-cooked bird at participating locations nationwide by calling your local restaurant or stopping by in-person. Sides can be pre-ordered too, including macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. Detailed instructions for reheating are included. Pro tip: Save the pan drippings to make your own gravy. If you need game-day inspiration or a quick dinner, Popeyes’ fried chicken is a available and a crowd-pleaser.
You’ll find all the classics on Buca di Beppo’s Thanksgiving menu, but the Italian-leaning chain makes it their own with sides like roasted garlic mashed potatoes and spicy Italian sausage stuffing. And you can customize your family-style feast to feed anywhere from three to 20 people. Buca di Beppo also offers some of its signature dishes to diversify your holiday spread or help with meal planning leading up to the big feast. Fan-favorite dishes include chicken limone, eggplant parmigiana and baked rigatoni. You can order online and pick-up at your local Buca di Beppo, or if there isn’t one in your area, look for locations of its sister restaurants, Bravo! Italian Kitchen, which offers the same menu, or BRIO Italian Grille, where you can order individual turkey dinners complete with pumpkin-spice bread pudding.
Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse-inspired restaurant, offers a heat-and-serve Thanksgiving dinner that feeds six. Highlights include stuffing made with Brazilian pork shoulder sausage and Granny Smith apples, as well as pão de queijo, the restaurant’s signature cheesy bread rolls. Staples round out the spread, including roasted turkey, sweet potato casserole, steamed asparagus and cranberry relish. If you’re team cake, rejoice! Fogo de Chao’s dinner includes a chocolate cake instead of pie. The Thanksgiving to-go dinner can be ordered by calling your local restaurant directly (delivery is available in some places).
Bob Evans’ signature farmhouse feast is back and available for pick-up or delivery. Choose from slow-roasted turkey or ham; each heat-and-serve package serves four and comes with dressing, corn, mashed potatoes with gravy; green beans with ham; cranberry relish; and rolls, plus cherry pie for dessert. If you need extra help getting the big meal ready, there’s a helpful online FAQ section that includes all the steps you need to follow to heat and serve it.
With locations nationwide, Denny’s is a popular family spot for homey breakfasts and diner-inspired comfort-food. That menu philosophy extends to their heat-and-serve Thanksgiving turkey and dressing dinner, too. It includes a tender, carved turkey breast, savory stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce and a choice of side. You can (and should) cap off your meal with pumpkin or pecan pie.
ONLINE GROCERY/FOOD PURVEYORS
Williams Sonoma is synonymous with easy elegance, and their pre-prepped Thanksgiving dinners are no exception. The complete Thanksgiving turkey dinner serves eight and includes a ready-to-roast turkey (choose from free-range, organic, pre-brined or pre-brined organic), green bean casserole in a creamy Gruyère cheese sauce, butter chive mashed potatoes and a classic pumpkin pie adorned with a decorative pastry leaf. The company also sells chef- and restaurant-inspired feasts, including an Elephants Delicatessen dinner, named for the Portland, Oregon, gourmet foods deli. Scene-stealing sides include green beans with shiitake mushrooms, ultimate mac and cheese studded with smoky bacon and caramelized onions, and herb-mushroom stuffing made with house bread. Dinners can be purchased online or through any Williams Sonoma location.
Fresh Direct
Northeast online grocery retailer FreshDirect is known for its chef-prepared meals, so expect the same attention to flavor when it comes to its prepared Thanksgiving meals. Choose from three different sizes of Thanksgiving meal bundles and turkey options, which include a pre-cooked bone-in turkey breast, an oven-ready marinated turkey and, new this year, an organic whole roasted turkey. If you prefer to roast your own turkey, you can purchase a whole bird in a variety of sizes online, too. Round out your feast with popular sides including baked macaroni and cheese, green beans with roasted garlic and mashed potatoes, as well as a thaw-and-serve pumpkin pie.
Harry and David
Harry & David is synonymous with gourmet foods, and their heat-and-serve Thanksgiving options follow that same ethos. Opt for the aptly named gourmet turkey feast, which comes with all the fixings including apple sausage stuffing, brown sugar sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and Brussels sprouts with bacon, plus dessert. Need to round out your existing spread? There’s a create-your-own-side-dishes package that lets you pick from best-sellers such as Gruyère and garlic red mashed potatoes, cauliflower risotto and the fan-favorite black truffle and almond green beans. Avoid cooking burnout leading up to the big feast by stocking up on prepared family-style meals like beef brisket or beef-and-Italian-sausage lasagna. Other entertaining essentials to check out include appetizer-ready items like charcuterie and cheese, as well as dips and spreads such as spinach artichoke dip, green olive spread and red pepper and cheese spread.
This year, Omaha Steaks’ Thanksgiving menu is all about falling back on tried-and-true favorites for a maximum dose of comfort. You can opt to build your own family Thanksgiving feast, which includes traditional sides as well as classic steakhouse sides, plus you get a free boneless Duroc ham or roasted turkey breast, perfect for next-day sandwiches. Eliminate any guesswork by opting for the curated whole basted turkey Thanksgiving feast. Winning sides include smashed red potatoes and whipped sweet potatoes. For dessert, pie is king with pumpkin and pecan rounding out the top two.
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